Valiance & Co (ex-Binary Dragons) are currently leading the charge at the Group Stage and we couldn't resist but to sit down and have an interview with Neno, their in game leader! Read more below!

Good evening Neno! Thank you for sitting down with us for this interview.

Good evening! Thank you for having me.

Could you introduce yourself to our readers? What’s your name? How old are you?

Hello to the readers. My name is Anel Chekovikj. I am 24 years old. I am from Macedonia and I am the in-game leader of team Valiance&Co.

How did you start playing CS:GO? What draw you to this specific game instead of something else?

I started playing CS: 1.6 in 2007. When 1.6 died everyone switched to CS:GO and I just followed.

What is the thing you like the most about the game? What do you hate the most and want do you want to change?

I like that you can have different set of tactics because of the nades and skyboxes. I would change the CZ-75 and fix the jumping so you can bhop better.

What piece of advice would you give to someone who wants to go pro? Is it only about in-game talent or outside behavior as well? What does an eSports athlete need?

You need a bit of talent and a lot of hard work. Practicing both individually and as a team is a must. Also you need a positive attitude within the team to get to the top.

"On the contrary people can now pay their own bills by playing the game they love, so it's really good."

Adria League is a really competitive league with high-skilled teams. How difficult or easy do you find this challenge? Who is the strongest opponent in your opinion?

I expect us to win the league but there are definitely good players/teams in there. The strongest opponent would be, I guess, RESISTANCE but considering how hard we work at the moment I expect us to lift the trophy.

You have competed in quite a few big tournaments! Do you think that such an experience give you an edge over the other teams in the Adria League?

We have more experience than the teams in the league, so yes I would say we start the matches with a lot more confidence.

The CS:GO scene is developing really fast. New tournaments around the globe, players come and go but generally all eSports scenes are really on the rise! What do you make of the eSport growing industry and where does the CS:GO scene stand among the others?

I really like it. Too bad it wasn't like this in the past. On the contrary people can now pay their own bills by playing the game they love, so it's really good. I don't follow other games so I don't really know how CS:GO stands with them but I guess it's up there.

The Balkan CS:GO scene is improving steadily. Concerning other eSports a DOTA 2 pro player from Macedonia, Martin "Saksa" Sazdov, came second with his team at the DOTA 2 International Championship. Do you think that Balkan players can bring it home and dominate every eSports scene because they tend to be really passionate and hard-working people?

I think that Balkan CS players can get good achievements with a lot of hard work of course. We hope we will do that in the near future. As for the country I don't really feel like I am playing for my country since my team is from mixed countries. I feel like we are representing the Balkans.

What are your personal expectations amongst all things happening at the eSports scene? In your effort to reach the top what is the thing that drives you the most? Competitive spirit? Fame? Money?

Yes, reaching the top is our main goal as a team and doing it with this line-up would feel even better because we are like a family. We also signed to a new organization, Valiance&Co, who supports us with everything that we need and we are grateful for that. We have the freedom to only focus on CS and to try to reach the top.

What is your personal motive? What makes you want to be the best?

My personal motive would be for my team to work their hardest which we are at the moment, i just try my best, work hard and that's it.